Editorial: Downtown college a good idea

Students, dollars, activity at all hours — it sure would be nice to have a college downtown.

That is why the prospect of what some idealists are calling the Jackson College of Art and Design sounds so appealing.

Without financing, a curriculum or a location, this group will approach the City Council tonight for support. As long as there are no dollars attached, we don’t see the harm from the council’s blessing.

The city used to be home to a Jackson Community College branch. Students from Spring Arbor University take classes downtown. None of that compares to the experience of a full-blown college campus and the benefits that come with it. Just ask Ann Arbor or East Lansing. Or even Albion and Spring Arbor.

This is a heady time for Jackson’s downtown, in terms of possibilities. Consider:

• The head of the Enterprise Group wants to turn the former Riverwalk Hotel into a showcase park.

• A developer with a good track record is pitching development of the Hayes Hotel and neighborhood.

• There’s hope the old Consumers Energy building might come down.

Adding a college to this brew of ideas only sweetens the mix. Of course, it’s up to these would-be developers to flesh out their idea and, more important, come up with the money. For now, we simply wish them the best. Their success would be good for the whole community.